2000
#150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155,172
First available Census row
Per 100,000 57.52
Common Last name
Shaw
An occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a servant or attendant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 177,954 Americans carry the last name Shaw. That puts it at #169 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 51.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,926 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shaw surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Shaw with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
178K
1 in 1,926
Census rank
#169
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
51.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
155K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 155,184 bearers of the surname Shaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 51.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 169th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shaw
The surname Shaw originated in England and Scotland. It is derived from the Old English word 'sceaga', meaning a small wood or thicket. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a small wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shaw appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled 'Sciua'. This suggests the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest. Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form of Shaw.
During the Middle Ages, various spellings of the name emerged, such as Schagh, Schaw, Shawe, and Shagh. These variations were often used interchangeably and reflected regional dialects and scribal preferences.
The name Shaw is also associated with several place names in England, such as Shaw Hill in Wiltshire, Shaw in Berkshire, and Shaw in Lancashire. These place names likely influenced the development of the surname as people adopted the name of their place of residence or origin.
One notable figure bearing the surname Shaw was John Shaw (c. 1615-1672), an English Baptist minister and writer. He was a prominent figure in the early Baptist movement and authored several religious works.
Another historical figure was Sir John Shaw (1776-1832), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in various battles and was knighted for his service.
In Scotland, the Shaw surname is associated with the Clan Shaw, a Highland Scottish clan with roots in Aberdeenshire. One famous member of this clan was Alexander Shaw (1554-1594), a Scottish philosopher and academic who served as the principal of the University of Aberdeen.
William Shaw (1559-1637), an English clergyman and author, is also noteworthy. He served as the Dean of Bristol and wrote several religious works, including "A Practical Discourse of the Lord's Supper."
John Shaw (1776-1832), a British architect, is known for his work on several prominent buildings in London, including the Church of St. Dunstan-in-the-West and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Shaw, reflecting its long-standing presence in England, Scotland, and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Shaw bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Shaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.4% · 107,763
- Black or African American20.5% · 31,787
- Two or more races4.3% · 6,638
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 5,210
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2,670
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1,116
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shaw
Shaw appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160,400
+5,228 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 54.38
Rank movement Down 14 places
2020
#169
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155,184
-5,216 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 51.92
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150 | 155,172 | 57.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #164 | 160,400 | 54.38 | +5,228 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 14 places |
| 2020 | #169 | 155,184 | 51.92 | -5,216 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 5 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Shaw surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #164 | #169 | -3.0% |
| Count | 160,400 | 155,184 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 54.38 | 51.92 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shaw bearers went from 160,400 to 155,184 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #164 to #169.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shaw
FAQ
Shaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shaw?
Name Census estimates that about 177,954 living Americans carry the surname Shaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,926 residents.
How common is Shaw?
Shaw ranks #169 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 51.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 52 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 155,184 people with the surname Shaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (177,954), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 51.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 51.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 52 of them to have the surname Shaw.
Has Shaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shaw went from 160,400 recorded bearers to 155,184. That is a decrease of 5,216 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #164 to #169.
What does the Census say about the background of Shaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.4% (107,763 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.4%), Black (20.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Shaw (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Shaw mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a servant or attendant. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Shaw (51.92 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Shaw?
See how many people have the last name Shaw on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.